Quercetin Supplements May Help Protect Against Oxidative Damage

A recent study suggests that taking quercetin supplements may help boost antioxidant defenses and protect against exercise-induced oxidative damage.

Participants in the study included 14 men with an average age of 25.5 who were given either 500 mg of quercetin every 12 hours or a placebo two weeks before and two weeks after a bout of eccentric exercise to eccentric induced muscle damage. After a three-week washout period, the men underwent the other intervention.

At the conclusion of the study, the researchers noted a significant reduction in levels of lipid peroxidation in red blood cells, as well as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (a marker of oxidative stress) in blood plasma.

Researchers from the Foro Italico University of Rome conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on December 14, 2017, in Nutrition Research.